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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Violations mark first year of Dominican Republic’s Constitution

Dominican Republic’s Constitution is one year old today but most of the entities it created to modernize or decentralize the different functions of the Government agencies have yet to be installed.

The terms set within its text to form the entities weren’t met except for the Central Electoral Board and the Accounts Chamber.

The term to conform the Constitutional Court, designed to guarantee “the Supremacy of the Constitution, the defense of the constitutional order and the protection of the fundamental rights” expires today.

The day has come but its statutory law hasn’t been approved and there’s no indication that it would be conformed in the next few weeks, since it’s the responsibility of the National Magistrate Council, which can only be convened by the President, who left the country Monday on a 14 day tour of Europe and Asia.

The National Magistrate Council must also choose the judges of the Superior Electoral Court, and evaluate the Supreme Court’s current justices, to decide who’ll be confirmed or who’ll be placed on retirement for having reached 75 years of age.

The Executive and Legislative branches haven’t managed to install the newly created Judicial Branch Council either, which should’ve been in effect within six months after the current Constitution became law on January 26, 2010. The Superior Judiciary Council hasn’t been established either, despite that the Constitution calls for the start of its functions for that same date.